Forest
Courage vs. Cowardice
The youth in The Red Badge of Courage is portrayed to be a coward in the beginning in chapters 5-8. He fees from his company’s battle at the very first sight of danger. He buys into a cheap story of fear and natural instinct to fear danger. He sites a squirrel’s response to him throwing an acorn at it as evidence that his and others response was legitimate. The youth deems the others who stay behind to fight as “Methodical idiots! Machine-like fools!” The youth forgets all of the glory and respect and purpose of war both tangible and ideological and runs. “There was a race” It was a race against the creature of war pursuing the deserters as if only to attack those that fall behind. The youth is guilty as he returns to his comrades who have in fact fought the beast while he retreated to his mental substitute for what is actually war.
He has been deceived into believing that the enemy, who is only human, is more powerful than man. In reality it was an equal battle that was won in the minds of those involved. “He felt a great anger against his comrades. He knew it could be proved that they had been fools.” Courage and Heroism is not buying into the lies and wills of those around you. It is a form of independence, independence from the physiological wants and desires as well as the mental and emotional desires of man. It is those who are above themselves, or at least perceived as above themselves that are courageous and heroic.
The Scarlet Letter—-Hester Prynne’s independence form society and her success with it
Beowulf—fearless, crazy warrior. This is who he is a fighter.
Courage is those who stand and fight for their cause, or beliefs no matter what is going to happen, win or lose.
Crane uses a natural approach to show who or how courage and cowardice can be approached. His character flees form the battle but reaches a realization out in the woods. He returns to the battle to see what this loud sound of gun fight and sword clashes truly is. Ironically the coward is returning to the battle to ensure that the regiment is all right. He knows that his side has won and yet there is still a sense of danger as he returns to the camp. The youth experiences guilt. This is the danger that he has charged into headlong. He at first was a coward but overcame this fear and is now battling to secure his manhood, his right in the army. Out in the woods the youth sees a dead man being decomposed by ants. He is discolored and rotting. “The dead man and the living man exchanged a long look” It is in this interaction that the youth realizes that this will be him. His guilt from deserting his regiment will eat him up much like the black ants did to the dead, faded, soldier. Courage is not given to individuals it is not inherited it is earned. Crane shows this by contrasting those wounded with the youth. The men with “the red badge of courage” have earned their honor and courage. The youth has not. The youth is lost and confused. Crane twists the courageous into the cowards through the plot of the battles. One contest is never a way to judge a winner. It requires a series to see the true colors of a man.
